Fitness Journey

In the beginning I was a 206lb "flabalicious" fat guy rapidly approaching the big 3-0. So, how am I doing? Today, about seven months in, I weighed 166.6lbs. Over the holidays I went back up to 178 lbs, but now I am working on reaching my goal of 159 lbs, 7% body fat, and a Ninja Warrior ready body.

Okay, I am not good at surprises- I give my wife her birthday gifts a month early every year. Today’s post over at Musings, Rants, and Monologues is all about the recent Democratic candidate debate out in the so-called city of angels. The debate, to the best of my knowledge, was the first debate ever to cater directly to “happy” people, and broadcast on a “happy” channel.

Just to whet your appetite, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be posting an excellent break down of the Democratic debate that was broadcast on LOGO this past week. For all those unfamiliar with LOGO, it is a cable network geared towards homosexual men and women.

When I checked out their web page there is an ad on top for a dating service that states, “Gay Republicans Welcome (all three of you).” [I applaud them for making their own Match site instead of suing E-Harmony].

But this post isn’t simply to pimp MY OTHER BLOG. No. Okay, maybe a little. But the primary reason I am writing this is to drop some knowledge on you. In writing my recent post for my other blog I learned a few interesting things that you should know. Remember being forewarned is being forearmed…

Care to take a trip down memory lane? A trip to the 2004 election, a time when John Kerry and John Edwards were best of friends. Some might say, soul mates. Could it be that their relationship was a model for all man-to-man relationships?

As the events transpired not too far down the road from where I attended graduate school, I find it hard to remain silent. The headline today, “All Charges Dropped in Duke Case” is an indication that some justice has finally occurred in this horrible display of prosecutorial power abused.

This case has dredged up a lot of emotion since it first hit the news. Many found it hard to ignore. Sadly, it wasn’t because of any good evidence that would indicate that the accuser’s claims were truthful. Instead, the media ate up this story since it was a perfect story- a story of privilege vs. poverty, white vs. black, men vs. woman, powerful vs. powerless, etc.

A real problem has been exposed by this case. It is reported that the Duke players’ families have incurred a debt close to 3 million dollars for their respective sons’ legal defense fund. What of the boys who can’t afford the best lawyers? How many prosecutors like Nifong have steamrolled over innocent young men because they lacked the material resources to defend themselves?

In all their paroxysms over the guilt of these evil, rich, privileged white boys, the media forgot one very important thing. If they had been the opposite, if the accused were poor black kids, could they have received a fair trial? Most likely not. Why?

First, the media wouldn’t have even taken notice. The story wouldn’t have garnered much attention, since it didn’t fit the ideal narrative present in the Duke case. The media took notice because this case fell within a narrative framework that fits well in the weltanschauung of modern liberals. It is revealing that few in leadership positions at Duke and in the media were willing to consider the innocence of these young men when the accusation first surfaced.

Second, their attorneys would have been overworked and underpaid public defenders- juggling too many cases and without the necessary resources to confront a rogue prosecutor.

Third, the North Carolina system has almost no checks against this kind of prosecutor run amok, and without press coverage there would be little chance of getting anyone in power to act.

Foxnews has come out with an article on the accuser– Crystal Mangum. It indicates that she had a very troubled past. It is worth reading, as the article is highly informative and helped to explain some questions I had about why anyone would present these kind of false accusations.

What Lesson have we Learned?

Lesson One: God’s laws regarding sexual purity, moderation in alcohol, etc. are given for a reason. Had these young men not celebrated by hiring a stripper and consuming alcohol (excessively) this whole drama never would have occurred. While they are not responsible for her false charges, they are responsible for their own actions.

Lesson Two: People who describe themselves as “Victims’ Rights Advocates” have a severe hatred for the truth. They seem to be interested in one thing- proving the guilt of any accused individual. I am sure that even now many VRA’s will be condemning the A.G.’s actions and bemoaning how this case turned out.

For the life of me I can’t believe that there are people out there who believe (and I saw these words in print in reference to this case several months ago), “Women don’t lie about rape.” This kind of thing is really ridiculous, especially if you apply the Feminist perspective to the above statement. If women are mostly powerless, and they seek avenues to gain power, rape accusations present the perfect opportunity to be empowered. The female accuser in a rape case gets near unconditional support, no condemnation or criticism from those interviewing and counseling her, and a near blank check for future support and care. Of course as the case moves on the accuser might be rightly or wrongly maligned by the defense- but does this kind of thing really enter the mind of someone seeking immediate love and acceptance (or revenge)?

Lesson Three: Being restricted by a world view that paints all blacks as helpless victims, whites as privileged oppressors, and sets guilt or innocence based on the former categories is severely limited and biased. Our judgments in these matters can’t be based on broad categories that find support only in our own prejudices, but in facts and a reasoned approach to those facts. Whether it be local newspaper editorial section or the Group of 88, most were quick to convict these men before they were even charged, and punish them before they had even the slightest inkling of the facts. Worse yet, many have remained steadfast in their wrongful claim about these young men to this day.

I hope now these young men can begin putting their lives back together. I am glad they are lucky enough to have that chance. I pray for those who lack the same resources and who now sit inside a jail cell, righteously suffering a wrongful conviction. I also pray for the accuser, that her wounds (those wounds that led to this horrid accusation) might be healed, that she might be restored.

May God turn this to good for everyone involved, even Mike Nifong (after he receives his just punishment from his peers- the North Carolina Bar).

It looks like someone has finally done it- invented a car that runs well on a clean fuel source. This new invention runs on, get this, compressed air [hence the name Air Car]. It is also affordable AND achieves reasonable speeds.

“It costs less than $3 USD to fill a tank on which it can run for 200 to 300km [124 to 186 miles]. The car will cost about USD $7,300 and has a top speed of 68mph. About once every 50,000 km you have to change the oil (1 liter of vegetable oil). Initial plans are to produce 3,000 cars per year.” [1]

Barbaric Behavior in Iraq.

Over in Iraq terrorists used (and subsequently butchered) two children in order to explode a car bomb at a U.S. checkpoint. To realize how disgusting these scum are- praying on our western values of kindness and mercy- see the following:

“The vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint but was allowed through when soldiers saw the children in the back…

“Children in the back seat lowered suspicion. We let it move through. They parked the vehicle, and the adults ran out and detonated it with the children in the back,” Barbero said…

After going through the checkpoint, the vehicle parked next to a market across the street from a school, said the official, who asked not to be identified.

“And the two adults were seen to get out of the vehicle, and run from the vehicle, and then followed by the detonation of the vehicle,” the official said.

“It killed the two children inside as well as three other civilians in the vicinity. So, a total of five killed, seven injured,” the official said.”

How contemptible and barbaric. Notice these two adults run- presumably foregoing the glories Allah has allegedly promised them as suicide bombers- leaving the two young children to die.

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6.

A Gay Old Time at Church?

It appears that Texas is home to the this Countries largest “gay church.”

“Hudson estimates that over 90 percent of the Cathedral’s 3,500 members are gay, lesbian or transgender.”

I have no problem with homosexual couples attending church- after all we don’t expel from church those who have sex before (or outside) of marriage, adulterers, and divorced believers. My problem stems from the fact that neither would we create a church for adulterers, unwed couples, etc. where we claim that such activity isn’t sinful and immoral. Yet, for some reason, our society has chosen to embrace this specific sin, and singled it out for unlimited acceptance.

The Church has taken one form of fornication and legitimized it- seemingly with the purpose of getting people in church who otherwise wouldn’t come. Is this a good policy? What other sinful behavior could we legitimize in order to make sinners more comfortable with the church and Jesus? I would answer that we have already done much to make divorced men and women and unwed couples feel as if their lifestyle (and choices) were acceptable (or at the least not condemned) by God.

Iranian President Declares War on Sparta (Satire)

“In what foreign policy experts believe to be a direct response to the hit American movie “300,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today declared war on Sparta. Even for the mercurial Ahmadinejad, the move struck many diplomatic insiders as extraordinary, since the consensus in the international community is that the city-state of Sparta no longer exists.” [2]

Brothers Gone Astray? Leading Pentecostals in Brazil Arrested in the U.S.

“Only a few months ago, Estevam and Sônia Hernandes were on television preaching a gospel of material success and living a life to match.

But that was before they were arrested in Miami in January and charged with illegally smuggling cash into the United States, including $9,000 concealed in a Bible.” [3]

It doesn’t take long to see from whence the problem originates- as their church preached a “theology of prosperity.” Prosperity churches have their eyes on money and material success more than God and Godliness. In addition, they make a mockery of the millions of Christians who suffer for Christ daily with not even a few coins in their pockets. God may bless you with wealth, but more often he blesses you with spiritual things so much greater than a big home and a nice car.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Matthew 7:21-23.

Medved has the Left Pegged

“While the right wants to reward beneficial choices and discourage destructive directions, the left seeks to eliminate or reduce the impact of the disadvantages that result from bad decisions. In place of the conservative emphasis on accountability, the left proffers a gospel of indiscriminate compassion.” [4]

Satire Lost on Leftists

“But that soothing thought was short-lived because I made a crucial mistake: I read the student newspaper published by the University of Rhode Island. According to the newspaper, the University of Rhode Island Student Senate denied the appeal of the College Republicans who had been punished for running a controversial “White Heterosexual American Male” scholarship advertisement. The ad was obviously satire because the scholarship has never actually been granted to anyone. In other words, like a gay unicorn, it does not really exist.”

I encourage you to read the articles written by my former undergraduate professor, Mike Adams. They are always funny, pointed, and well reasoned. They also often shock the heck out of you. He is a former atheist liberal turned fundamentalist Christian Conservative. Check out his archived articles here.

The Religious Left Seeks Greater Welfare Spending:

“The chief bishops of President Bush’s United Methodist denomination naturally were ready to pounce on his proposed $2.9 trillion budget for 2008, in which the “most vulnerable populations in the United States and around the world are sacrificed at the altars of greed and war.” [5]

Christian charity extracted at the point of government power is neither Christian nor Charity.